Overhead railway



(No Model.) J. W. MOYER 8: G. F. JACKSON.

OVERHEAD RAILWAY.

No. 448,157. Patented Mar. 10,1891.

,3 J A V f a llnlh I} J FIGJ I neg )(nvenfor's Sterne Penna Eric JONAH w. MOYER AND eEoReE F. JACKSON, or PHILADELPHIA,

' PENNSYLVANIA.

OVERl-l EAD RAI LVVAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,157, dated March 10, 1891.

Application filed November 4, 1890. Serial No. 370,265. (No model.)

To 60% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JONAI-I \V. MOYER and GEORGE F. JACKSON, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hay-e invented an Improvement in Overhead Railways, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention has reference to overhead railways; and it consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

Our invention comprehends certain im provements in the construction of the overhead railway, with particular reference to the support of the track-rail by the hanger and to the construction of the switch for connecting the main track with the branch track.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of an overhead railway embodying my invention, with a portion of the hangers cut away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same, showing the full hangers; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same on line to o: of Fig. 2.

A is one track, and B B are two branch tracks, with either of which the main track A can be connected by means of the switch 0. One of the branch tracks B may be considered as part of the main track, if so desired.

D are the hangers upon which the rails A B are supported. The construction of these hangers is clearly shown in the several figures, particularly in Fig. 3. The lower portion of the hanger has a shoulder (Z, upon which the track-rail A rests. The upper part of the track-rail projects clear of the metal of the hanger, so that the trolley-wheel may readily pass along without its flanges striking the hanger. Furthermore, the width of the shoulder (Z is preferably slightly less than the thickness of the rail A. The lower portion of the hanger below the shoulder (Z is provided with a transverse hole G, which is made flaring on the side which comes directly under the rail, and in practice this flaring construction is made curved, as shown.

E-is the head of a clamping-bolt, and is formed elongated and extends upwardly, and

with a shank F, which shank is enlarged as cated at 6, whereby it fits snugly into the recess or hole Gr in the hanger. The bolt is secured in place by a nutf, and by said nut is drawn up tightly against the outer face of the rail and clamps the rail against the face of the hangerD. By the flaring construction of the hole G and the part cof the bolt great strength is given to the said bolt, and there is no danger from the most excessive strain which might be put upon the rail of the bolt being broken off at the juncture of its head E and shank F. The switch G is hinged to the rail A, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The metal of both of these at the adjacent ends is thickened, as at H and I; but said thickened portions do not extend to the upper part of the rail and switch, as the flanges of the trolley-wheel travel upon said upper portion, and any enlargement thereof would cause the said trolley to be derailed. The thickened portions ll and I are so shaped as to form a hinge-joint with the bolt K, the head 7: of which fits down into the recess J, formed between the ends of the rail A and switch 0, and so as to act as a part of the trackway for the trolley. In practice We make the head of this bolt K square or root angular, as shown in Fig. 1, so that it forms a continuation of the track A, leading to the switch 0. The head of the bolt E is made rounded in all directions, so that the trolley or frame thereof shall not be arrested if it should strike the head of said bolt. By rounding the said head E the trolley-frame would glance over it without injury in case it struck.

The minor details of improvements may be more or less modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1 1. The combination of the hanger I), having the shoulder d, the rail A, and a clampingbolt consisting of the enlarged flanged head E, extending by and pressing against the face of the rail to hold it against the hanger and furnished with a laterally-projecting shank it approaches the head E of the bolt, as indi- F, extending through the lower part of the hanger and provided with a nut f to draw it against the face of the rail, the bolt being entirely supported by the hanger and not passing through the rail A.

2. The combination of the hangerD, having the shoulder cl and a transverse hole G below the shoulder made flaring on its end which comes below said shoulder, the rail A, a clamping-bolt consisting \of the enlarged flanged head E, extending by and pressing against the face of the rail to hold it against the hanger and provided with a laterallyprojecting shank F, enlarged at its point of connection with the head E and extending through the transverse part of the hanger, and a nut f to draw the bolt-head against the face of the rail, the bolt being entirely supported by the hanger and not passing through the rail A.

3. In an overhead railway, the combination of a hanger against one face of which a fiattened rail is pressed, a fiat rail set on edge and having its upper edge clear of the hanger and a Iaterallyarranged clamping-bolt extending through the lower part of the hanger and provided with an upwardly-extending flange or head pressing against the outer face of the rail and clamping the said rail tightly to the hanger, the bolt being entirely supported by the hanger and not passing through the rail A.

t. The combination, in an overhead railway, of a main track, a branch track, aswitchsection hinged to the main track, in which the said hinge between the switch-section and main track consists of the enlarged parts I and H, formed upon the lower portions of the said track and switch-section, and a hinge bolt or pin K, extending down through the parts I and H and having its head portion 7tarranged in a recess J between the track-rail and switch-section and above the "enlarged portions I and 11, whereby said head constitutes a part of the track upon which the trolley runs. 7

5. In a railway, the combination of the main track and the switch-section hinged together, with a recessed portion at their upper edges and immediately above the hinge, in combination with a hinge pin or bolt between the said track and switch-section, the upper portion of which bolt fits into the recess and constitutes a part of the trackway for the Wheel of the trolley or vehicle. In testimony of which invention we have hereunto set our hands.

JONAl-I W. MOYER. GEO. F. JACKSON.

Witnesses:

S. G. HENDERSON, J12, H. W. IIILDEBRAND. 

